Originally Posted by
RJSAviator76
With respect to how many seats... that would be up to SWAPA. I will also vote NO on any SL's or TA's if it includes giving away any of our scope. In fact, I'm still pretty farking raw over allowing interisland Hawaii flying done by subcontractors even though we still do it. If our company wants to fly 175's, they can talk to SWAPA and hash out the rates, but it will be flown by pilots on our seniority list, not subcontractors. Look at the bright side.... as I said, ERJ170 type covers everything from 170 to 195 - a whole range of seats, configurations and options. The gauge of the metal they want to use is up to the company - same type rating.
So what you are saying is you are willing to fly EMB 170's under SWAPA's scope? What the company heard was "you guys want to fly RJ's for SWA?" Be careful how you play that game. You are willing to alter scope as long as it's SWAPA pilot's. SWA would take that offer in a heart beat.
The bottom line is SWA cost's and it's current business model don't support it. JBLU(190) parked them, Breeze(195) parked them. Spirit, Frontier and SWA don't have them for a reason. They don't work in that business model. If you begin to see more connections at SWA over the next few years and more importantly yields improve, then I think its something to be serious about. It took them ten years to figure out partnerships. Granted it was a different regime though.